Transcript Slide 1
Third Sector Resilience: the Changing Policy Context Funded by: Hosted by: Pete Alcock University of Birmingham Labour Government Legacy Hyperactive Mainstreaming • Deakin Commission - need for improved relations (Concordat) • Alun Michael - Labour Party commitment to partnership • Office of Third Sector – 2006 (Cabinet Office) Partnership working From Vertical to Horizontal support Strategic Support Formalising relations - Compact HM Treasury Cross Cutting Review 2002 - Capacity building • • • • Futurebuilders - £215m ChangeUp (Capacitybuilders) – £150m Communitybuilders - £70m Social Enterprise Investment Fund - £100m Sector Engagement Strategic engagement • Campbell Robb – OTS Director • OTS Strategic Partners • OTS Advisory Body “Over the past five years we have seen a growing understanding of, and emphasis on working with, the voluntary sector across government. Partnership working has become the norm…” (Etherington, NCVO, 2002). Growth in Income Total income from statutory sources increased by 61% from 2000/01. From Grants to Contracts Shift from grants to contracts - contracts increased 157% from 2000/01 while grants fell by 32%. Big Society Core theme for Cameron and Conservative Party in run up to 2010 election – Building a Big Society May 18 – Prime Minister (Cameron) and Deputy (Clegg) • ‘Big Society at the heart of public sector reform…’ • Early policy statement – Building the Big Society, July 19 – Cameron • Liverpool Big Society speech – ‘my great passion’, ‘huge culture change’ Big Society Replacing the ‘third sector’ – Office of the Third Sector becomes Office for Civil Society New policy programme • Making it easier to run voluntary organisations • Making it easier for organisations to work with the state • Getting more resources into the sector Further policy papers - Building a Stronger Civil Society, Supporting a Stronger Civil Society, Better Together…. … But cuts in horizontal support for sector Policy Retrenchment 2010 Spending Review – OCS budget slashed by around 60% • • • • Futurebuilders and Changeup closed Capacitybuilders and Compact Commission abolished Strategic partners reduced (42 – 11) and funding cut Compact ‘renewed’ Local authority support for sector also under threat from average of 25% cuts, and 51% of public funding comes from local authorities Projected impact of spending cuts If the planned spending cuts are passed on proportionately, the third sector will lose around £1.2 billion per year by 2015/16, and £3.3billion in total. New Policy Environment Continuity and Change Opening up Public Services • Reform of commissioning • Right to Provide • Social Value Act • Competition and market pricing But third sector ‘squeezed’ - Employment Programme and Payment-by-results… New Policy Environment Continuity and Change Community engagement • Double Devolution • Community Vanguards • Community Organisers • National Citizens Service But variations in community capacity and resources… New Policy Environment Continuity and Change Social Investment • Big Society Capital • Social Impact Bonds • Mutualisation taskforce But is there evidence of demand?